The Christensen Family Foundation
The Christensen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Carlos, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including education, animal rescue, community service, food assistance, and health organizations.
The Christensen Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Christensen Family Foundation gave $524K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in California. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $524,000
- -3.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +2.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,789
- -5.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $13,177,733
- +6.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (9 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Christensen Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 801 American Street, San Carlos, CA 94070
Phone: (650) 593-1841
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Christensen Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Eastside College Prep ($60K). Together the top 10 received $272K.
Grant Size Distribution
220 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 213 grants of 220 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 1% to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Christensen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 38 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 85% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $524K (2025) to $767K (2023). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $524K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eastside College Prep East Palo Alto, CA | General | $60,000 |
| Epatt Palo Alto, CA | General | $33,000 |
| Laughing Pony Rescue Rancho Santa Fe, CA | General | $32,000 |
| Norcal Interscholastic Cycling Petaluma, CA | General | $30,000 |
| All About Equine Animal Rescue El Dorado Hills, CA | General | $22,000 |
| Team Swift Fulton, CA | General | $21,000 |
| Homeward Bound San Francisco, CA | General | $20,000 |
| Marin Charitable Greenbrae, CA | General | $20,000 |
| CASA El Dorado County Placerville, CA | General | $18,000 |
| SF Marin Food Bank San Francisco, CA | General | $16,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Christensen Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,177,733 | $893,544 | $586,560 | $524,000 | 38 | $526,884 | $845,438 | $623,286 |
| 2024 | $12,413,815 | $758,818 | $599,578 | $540,500 | 37 | $545,472 | $710,083 | $596,410 |
| 2023 | $11,485,881 | $633,574 | $820,790 | $767,000 | 45 | $771,700 | $587,884 | $544,262 |
| 2022 | $10,511,404 | $421,122 | $788,193 | $720,000 | 51 | $724,364 | $374,055 | $573,448 |
| 2021 | $12,959,807 | $985,466 | $649,511 | $592,400 | 49 | $594,666 | $939,414 | $650,024 |
| 2020 | $12,801,770 | $711,515 | $618,767 | $557,500 | 49 | — | $666,062 | $586,389 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Christensen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $623K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grantees include organizations serving a range of needs. For example, Laughing Pony Rescue says it rescues and rehabilitates unwanted and abused horses, while Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue says it rescues, rehabilitates, and releases wildlife and provides education outreach. Canal Alliance describes its work as supporting Marin’s low-income immigrant community and breaking the generational cycle of poverty for Latino immigrants and their families. Bay Area Cancer Connections says it supports people affected by breast or ovarian cancer with personalized services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $524,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $60,000, with a median of $12,000. Larger awards included $60,000 to Eastside College Prep, $33,000 to EPATT, $32,000 to Laughing Pony Rescue, and $30,000 to NorCal Interscholastic Cycling. Other recipients included All About Equine Animal Rescue ($22,000), Homeward Bound ($20,000), Marin Charitable ($20,000), CASA El Dorado County ($18,000), and SF Marin Food Bank ($16,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Amy Christensen as president, Andrew Christensen as director, Gavin Christensen as treasurer, and Maren Christensen as secretary.
The Christensen Family Foundation is led by Amy Christensen, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Amy Christensen
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Andrew Christensen
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Gavin Christensen
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Maren Christensen
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Isobel S. Christensen (2020) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Christensen Family Foundation
How much does The Christensen Family Foundation give each year?
The Christensen Family Foundation gave $524K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $541K across 37 grants.
What is The Christensen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Christensen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,000, and its average grant was $13,789, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Christensen Family Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Christensen Family Foundation give grants?
The Christensen Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Petaluma, CA (6 grants), San Francisco, CA (5 grants), San Jose, CA (3 grants) and San Mateo, CA (3 grants).
Does The Christensen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Christensen Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Christensen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Christensen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Eastside College Prep ($60,000), Epatt ($33,000) and Laughing Pony Rescue ($32,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Christensen Family Foundation?
The Christensen Family Foundation reported $13.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $527K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $623K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Christensen Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grantees include organizations serving a range of needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Christensen Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Christensen Family Foundation's EIN?
The Christensen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 71-0929445. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Christensen Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Christensen Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Christensen Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in California
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Marin Community Foundation funds work in affordable housing and homelessness, community resilience and power, as well as social services, education, arts and conservation, with a focus on marginalized Marin County residents and some broader U.S. and international grantmaking. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The California Community Foundation supports nonprofits through discretionary and donor-directed grants, with discretionary priorities including education, health, housing and immigration, alongside other areas such as arts, civic engagement and economic opportunity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $50,000, and its work is focused on Los Angeles County; prospective discretionary applicants are asked to contact the relevant program officer before submitting a letter of intent.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation funds education, climate and conservation, the arts, democracy, gender equity, racial justice, and efforts to strengthen nonprofits and philanthropy, with work spanning the San Francisco Bay Area, the U.S. West, and locations including East and West Africa and Mexico. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $150,000, though amounts varied widely. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but sometimes invites proposals through open processes.
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
Direct Relief
Santa Barbara, CA
Direct Relief supports healthcare providers serving people affected by poverty or emergencies, including community health centers, clinics, and grassroots organizations, with medicines, supplies, and funding for health access and equity. In 2025, its grants had a median award of about $65,000, and its work spans all 50 U.S. states and countries around the world; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,367
Total Given
$337.4M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Christensen Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-christensen-family-foundation-morg_88f72363aaa44f0e8e43a478f899fcc3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_710929445_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Christensen Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-christensen-family-foundation-morg_88f72363aaa44f0e8e43a478f899fcc3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Christensen Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
The Christensen Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?